Manually removable and replaceable bottle cap



Sept. 3, 1963 F. J. s-r. JACQUES 3,102,652

MANUALLY REMOVABLE AND REPLACEABLE BOTTLE CAP Filed June 12, 1962INVENTOR FRANCIS J. ST. JACQUES M40 FIGB, 2

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,102,652 MANUALLY REMOVABLE ANDREPLACEABLE BOTTLE CAP Francis J. St. Jacques, Oakham Road, NorthBrookfield, Mass. Filed June 12, 1962, Ser. No. 201,827 Claims. (Cl.215-46) This invention relates to a cap particularly adapted for bottlesand especially of the type which includes a metal cup-like member havinga cork or gasket therein and which is applied to a pouring rim or lip onthe bottle by crimping the skirt or flange thereon. This type of closureis usually referred to as a crown seal.

The principal object of the present invention resides in the provisionof an improvement in this type of cap which allows the cap to be removedmanually from the bottle without the use of a bottle opener or any othertool; and the provision of such a cap which not only can be removedmanually but can be reapplied in tight sealing condition to thecontainer such as for instance a soda water bottle.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a manuallyremovable cap of the class described which is made in two pieces, alower sealing member and :a top locking member, and there beinginteren-gaging means latching the same together, these members howeverbeing quickly and easily manipulatable to remove the cap; the lowersealing member being provided with a slit or split which is held insealing relation with respect to the bottle by the top looking member,but when the locking member is removed or in some cases merely properlymanipulated without being removed, the split sealing member is easilyspread apart by the fingers and removed cfrom the bottle, and just aseasily reapplied thereto and the locking member manipulated so as tobring the split parts or the sealing member into correct sealingrelation.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth inthe appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 isa view in elevation showing the form of the invention applied to abottle;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, looking in the direction of arrow 2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the sealing member showing I the same open anddetached from the bottle;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan View of the locking member;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view in side elevation illustrating amodification;

FIG. 7 is a plan View of a modification of the lower member;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the locking member to be applied to FIG. 7, and

FIG. 9 is a side View thereof, part in section.

In carrying out the present invention, the same is illustrated as acrown seal applicable to a soda water bottle or the like. Theconstruction embodies two members, one of which is an upper lockingmember generally indicated at 10 and the other of which is the lowerseal member generally indicated at 12. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, thelower member 12 is in general very similar to the well knownconventional crown seal having a fluted skirt 1-4 which is crimped tosecure it to the pouring lip 16 of the container 18 of well known type,but in this case the top flat cover portion thereof is pierced orapertured to form an elongated opening as at 20.

3,102,652 Patented Sept. 3, 1963 Also member 12 is split or slit alongan arcuate line 22 forming an arcuate member 24 separated at one area asat 26 but at the opposite end of arcuate member 24 it is still attachedto the main body of the cap in the area at 28 by a part of the skirt 14.It will be seen that member 24 is quickly and easily separated from themain portion of the member 12 manually because the metal at 28 is verysmall and weak but provides that member 12 is all in one part.

The locking member -10 is a plain cup-like member which has a continuousedge flange 30 and. at its inner aspect thereot is provided with afastening device such as at 32. This fastening device is a small sheetof material, providing a pair of tabs shown in FIG. 5, these beingslightly spaced from the inner surface of the locking cap member 10 andas a matter of fact may be provided with slightly upturned lip portions34 if desired. This member may be welded or otherwise secured at 36 tothe interior part of the cap.

This cap is usable in any existing capping machinery and as provided,the parts are locked together as shown in FIG. 3 and the bottle iscapped in exactly the usual manner, it being noted that the flange 30 ofthe locking cap 10 holds the arcuate member 24 in tight grippingrelationship with respect to the main body portion of the lower capmember 12, but when it is desired to open the bottle it is merelynecessary to apply the fingers to the top locking member 10 and turn itso that the tabs 32 coincide with the aperture 20 when the top lockingcap may be lifted oil, in which case the arcuate member 24 is then freeto be manually moved to the FIG. 4 position, completely opening thebottle.

The reverse of this operation is quickly and easily made also in orderto recap the bottle simply by placing the lower member 12 on the pouringlip and applying the flange '30 to the part 24 for drawing it intosealing engagement with respect to the pouring lip of the bottle andthen giving the 90 turn to reposition the parts in locking conditionasshown in FIG. 3.

As a variation of this device, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower sealingmember 40 is the same as before described including the slit at 22, 26',etc. but in this case it is provided with a cam-shaped or interruptedscrew thread parts 42 which are engaged by inturned lugs 44 indicated indotted lines in FIG. 6 on the top locking member 46. The operation issubstantially the same as before. The two parts 40 and 46 are providedin locked condition with the tabs 44 lying under the projections 42, butwhen it is desired to remove the cap the locking cap 46 is twisted so asto free it and turn tabs 44 from the lugs 42 and then the operation isthe same as above described, it being noted that the cap 40 has a shit48 which compares to that at 26 in FIGS. 1 and 2 for instance.

A third form of the invention is a single unit and is shown in FIGS. 7,8 and 9 wherein the sealing member is generally indicated at 50. Thissealing member has a slot 52 as before forming the two sealing members(53 and 55) also as before but in this case there is merely a circularmember 54 centrally of the sealing member and this provides for a rotarycenter or hub such as a headed rivet 56 mounted on a locking membergenerally indicated at 58 so that the latter is rotatable on the sealingmember 50 but not removable. The locking member 58 is composed of arelatively large portion '60 having a skirt as at 62 and a narrowerradial portion 64 having a skirt as at 66. It will be seen that thenarrow portion 64 being made of the usual thin material of which crownseals are made can be bent up to the dotted line position or higher inFIG. 9 and in this position it is useful as a handle to swivel or rotatelocking member 58 relative to sealing member 50 to leave the slit 52inan unlocked condition so that the portion 53 thereof can be moved awayfrom the portion 55 to remove the entire cap without removing thelocking member from the sealing member. Also, this cap is easilyreplaced and resealed by the reverse procedure, providing skirt parts 62and 66 to grip the opposite portions of the crimped parts at 53 and 55.

It will be seen that this invention provides a relatively simple devicewhich solves the problem of opening bottles using crown seals withoutthe use of any tools, bottles, etc.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A closure cap comprising a sealing member adapted to be applied tothe mouth of a container, said sealing member including a cover portionand a crimping depending skirt, said skirt having a slit therein, saidslit extending substantially across the cover portion and dividing thesealing member into a plurality of permanently connected but manuallyinterpivoted cooperative partial sealing members, each partial sealingmember including a portion of the skirt, a separable locking cap, aperipheral skirt, on the locking cap to engage all the partial sealingmembers exteriorly thereof, pressing generally radially inwardly thereonto hold the same in sealing relation to the mouth of the container, andinterengaging means between the sealing member and the locking capholding the peripheral skirt of the locking cap to the skirts of thepartial sealing members in locked condition of the said partial sealingmembers, said locking cap being manually removable bodily to release theskirts of the partial sealing members, whereby the latter may bemanually pivoted away from each other to free the sealing member fromthe container mouth.

Q. The closure cap of claim 1 wherein the interengaging means includes atongue and a cooperating slot therefor. 3. The closure cap of claim 1wherein the interengaging means includes a tongue and a cooperating slottherefor, the locking cap being rotatable relative to the sealing memberto secure and release the members by the tongue and slot.

4. The closure cap of claim 1 wherein the interengaging means includescooperating peripheral members on the locking cap and sealing member,the cap being relatively rotatable to lock and free the sealing member.

5. A closure cap for a container having a mouth comtion of the sealingmember, said locking cap being manually rotatableto release the securingmeans so that the cap is Wholly released from the sealing member,providing for manual motion of the sealing member skirt portions toremove the sealing member from the mouth of the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS799,370 Dodge Sept. 12, 1905 906,875 Hammer Dec. 15, 1908 2,041,259Morrison May 19, :1936 2,218,042 Hutaff Oct. 15, 1940 2,443,181 BeesonJune 15, 1948

5. A CLOSURE CAP FOR A CONTAINER HAVING A MOUTH COMPRISING A SEALINGMEMBER INCLUDING A CRIMPABLE SKIRT, THE SEALING MEMBER BEING AT LEASTPARTIALLY DIVIDED PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE SKIRTPORTIONS A SEPARABLE LOCKING CAP INCLUDING A PERIPHERAL SKIRT TO ENGAGETHE RELATIVELY MOVABLE SKIRT PORTIONS OF THE SEALING MEMBER AND HOLD THESAME IN SEALING RELATION TO THE MOUTH OF THE CONTAINER, ROTATABLYACTUATED MEANS SECURING THE LOCKING CAP TO THE SEALING MEMBER IN SKIRTPORTION HOLDING CONDITION OF THE SEALING MEMBER, SAID LOCKING CAP BEINGMANUALLY ROTATABLE TO RELEASE THE SECURING MEANS SO THAT THE CAP ISWHOLLY RELEASED FROM THE SEALING MEMBER, PROVIDING